Over a Million Miles
by technochy
Summary: Lily's about to learn about a lifechanging secret. Whether that secret lives or dies is up to her, but she can't stop fate no matter how hard she tries.
1. Seasons Greetings

Disclaimer: We already know it, but I don't own the characters.  
  
Part 1: Seasons greetings  
  
"I'm Question Mark and I'm wondering; why do we celebrate holidays?" Robbie asked into the microphone.  
  
"Well if you look at it from my view point, it's for all the presents." Ray answered although Robbie hadn't been speaking to him directly.  
  
"And if you don't then you probably think Pronto is greedy." Travis chimed in.  
  
"I have to agree with Smog." Lily smiled cheerfully.  
  
"Come on guys." Ray said innocently.  
  
"Sweetly acting innocent, just the way I like." Lily joked.  
  
"And what do you think, Smog?" Ray asked beaming with pride.  
  
"I'd have to say it's about spending time with your family." Travis explained thoughtfully.  
  
"Let me guess...this is more of the Buddhist nonsense you keep mentioning." Ray said.  
  
"Buddhism is not nonsense." Travis added.  
  
"Maybe we should listen to what our viewers think." Robbie stated.  
  
"After this song." Lily agreed.  
  
Travis flicked the switch and turned on a song.  
  
"So where did this question come from?" Lily asked Robbie.  
  
"It was what I was thinking at the time." Robbie replied.  
  
"So how are things with you and Ray?" Robbie asked.  
  
"Well now that Veronica has finally stopped stalking me, things are back to normal." Ray said gleefully.  
  
"Oh really?" Robbie asked.  
  
"With a few alterations." Lily added sarcastically. "And we're back in five, four, three..." Smog stated pointing at them as he signed the two and one.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"That was a great show." Robbie said thoughtfully.  
  
"Well I guess I'm headed on home." Lily gestured toward the door.  
  
"See ya later." The others said in unison.  
  
It was a fairly uneventful walk home for Lily. The only abnormal thing was that it was cool for this time of year. The familiar ring of the phone greeted her.  
  
"Hey Audrey!" Lily greeted.  
  
"Where have you been? I wanted you to come listen to RFR with me." Audrey explained.  
  
"Really? Since when did you like RFR?" Lily asked.  
  
Audrey ignored the question.  
  
"Oh...I gotta go." Lily exclaimed into the phone.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Lily come sit down." Her mother patted the cushion next to her.  
  
"What?" Lily asked as she situated herself on the sofa.  
  
"We haven't been honest with you Lily..." She eyed her husband, and then returned her gaze to Lily. "Lily we have to tell you something." 


	2. It Unfolds as a Nightmare

Part 2: It Unfolds As a Nightmare  
  
Lily wasn't quite the same after that night, nearly three days ago, with "the talk" as she had come to call it.  
  
"Lily, what's wrong?" Robbie asked one day at lunch.  
  
"Oh I just didn't get much sleep last night." Lily explained and smiled.  
  
"And why not?" Travis probed her.  
  
"I was thinking of a song to write." Lily replied calmly.  
  
"What did you come up with?" Ray asked.  
  
"Here." Lily tossed him a scrunched up piece of paper.  
  
"This is good, Lily." Ray assured her.  
  
"You think?" Lily asked.  
  
You were a secret from me all these years of life. Kept in the corners of a very darkened time. Without a peep I had never heard from you. And sing this song as I always do.  
  
"I have to agree with Ray, it is a good song." Travis said thoughtfully.  
  
"Thanks guys." She said calmly, not cheering up much with their words.  
  
"So guys I was thinking that we do a segment on the latest boring project in science." Robbie stated. "I'm Question Mark, and I'm wondering why we just got the lamest science project ever."  
  
"Yeah." Ray agreed.  
  
"What is this project?" Lily asked.  
  
"We have to do a report on...the dictionary." Robbie said.  
  
"So tell me how that exactly relates to science." Travis joked.  
  
"Oh come on guys, it won't be so bad." Lily said.  
  
"Yes it will!" The others shouted in unison.  
  
"Isn't the dictionary more of an English assignment?" Ray half-asked.  
  
"As far as I can see, yes." Robbie replied.  
  
"Oh come on guys isn't it obvious why the dictionary relates to science?" Travis asked.  
  
Ray and Robbie stared at him blankly.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Well there are words in the dictionary, which can be math by the fact that there are a specific number of letters in each individual word, or it can be English because words are used to write and it is imperative that they be spelled correctly, or it can be social-studies because of the fact that the English language was made by our ancestors, or it could even possibly be PE because of the strain writing puts on your hand or in other words a physical educational activity. Combining all of those things make it science because it is all related to the human; how we use those words, write them, create them, the effect they have on our brain. All of these things relate to humans, and humans are sentient creatures living on earth requiring food, water, and air with the intelligence to make shelters and weapons. In short summary words were made by humans, and humans are science!" Travis finished his summary.  
  
"PRONTO!" Lily called out. "Wake up!"  
  
"Awww, he fell asleep." Robbie said sarcastically.  
  
"Huh?" Ray asked sleepily.  
  
"Smog's segment is over now." Lily assured him.  
  
"He does make a good point, I just wish it hadn't been so dragged out!" Robbie said.  
  
"And we'd love to hear your comments after this song." Lily blurted out, and Travis flipped a switch.  
  
"Was I really that boring?" Travis asked.  
  
"Well...actually..." Robbie began.  
  
"YES!" Ray finished for him.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Lily reflected on the day's events. What she'd said at lunch was a lie. The song was a small fragment of a piece she'd use as an excuse. The truth was that she'd had a dream, rather a nightmare. She only remembered bits and pieces of it, but she knew what it was about. "The talk" had done her no good, and now things were about to change.  
  
In two days she was leaving, not permanently. For a while she would be in New York City.  
  
"I have to tell them eventually." Lily spoke aloud to herself. "Tomorrow." She said. "I will tell them tomorrow." 


	3. Dance Like an Idiot

Part 3: Dance Like an Idiot  
  
"So where have you been, Lily Randall?" Ray asked spontaneously as she approached the table.  
  
Lily looked slightly annoyed by his comment, but quickly clouded her discomfort. "I've been in the lunch line."  
  
"For fifteen minutes?" Robbie asked mystified.  
  
Lily didn't reply. She just stared blankly at the ceiling.  
  
"Lily, if I didn't know better I'd say something's bothering you." Travis said thoughtfully.  
  
"I was just up late last night." Lily lied.  
  
Her friends knew she was lying, it was apparent on her face. They also knew her well enough to know that whatever it was she would tell them on her own time, and just as they had the day before, dropped the subject.  
  
"So does anyone want to help me with my math homework?" Ray asked.  
  
"YOU DIDN'T DO IT?" Robbie was horrified.  
  
"Ray, it's twenty percent of our grade," Travis added.  
  
A glum expression rested upon Lily's face. She hadn't done the homework either, but she didn't care. Mr. and Mrs. Randall could explain the circumstances to her teacher.  
  
"Look," Ray began. "Lily didn't do it either."  
  
"How do you know?" Travis asked.  
  
"Just an instinct." Ray said.  
  
"You're not going to punch him?" Robbie asked, only to be greeted by silence.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"And here's a song just for you, listeners." Robbie said gleefully.  
  
"So Lily what's been bugging you?" Travis asked.  
  
"Nothing major, just that dumb homework assignment." Lily replied.  
  
"Lily..." Robbie began.  
  
"I know, it's twenty percent of our grade." Lily said annoyed slightly.  
  
"What has gotten into you miss Randall?" Ray asked sarcastically concerned.  
  
"We're on in 5...4...3..." Travis lifted two fingers, and finally one.  
  
"Pronto, what are you doing?" Lily asked.  
  
"What? I got that beat stuck in my head." Ray replied.  
  
"That's no reason for you to dance like an idiot." Lily stated.  
  
"I thought it was a rather intelligent dance." Ray replied.  
  
"Now you're scaring me, Pronto." Robbie stated.  
  
"Well let's here your comments on the subject, listeners." Travis quickly said.  
  
"Ed and Ted you're on the air." Robbie said as he read the names on Travis' chalkboard.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"So Lily you never said what was bothering you." Travis reminded her.  
  
"Absolutely nothing is wrong." Lily said cheerfully.  
  
"Lily, the truth." Robbie replied.  
  
"I promised myself I'd tell you today." Lily said aloud half to herself.  
  
"And?" Robbie asked.  
  
"Take up a seat, 'cause it's a long story. 


	4. Admit it to Yourself

Part 4: Admit it to Your Self.  
  
"It all started two days ago." Lily watched their faces intently, hoping they would interrupt her, but they didn't. "Mr. and Mrs. Randall sat me down for a talk. They said they'd been keeping a secret from me, my whole life."  
  
She paused again, and Ray motioned for her to continue.  
  
Lily sighed. "It turns out that I'm not a Randall." She saw the confused looks on their face's, and continued. "I'm adopted by the Randalls. My real name is Lily James."  
  
They never stopped her, they never took their eyes off her, just stared intently at her.  
  
"I was born when my mother was about eighteen, but it wasn't just me." She expected them to look confused again, and they did. "I'm not alone in this world...because...I have a twin. I'm older by two minutes."  
  
She paused, but her friends knew there was more to the story. Their eyes begged her to continue, and looks of sorrow rested upon their faces.  
  
She paused momentarily trying to think how best to continue. "They didn't plan to tell me. Mr. and Mrs. Randall or as I've known them, mom and dad, were going to keep lying to me."  
  
She stared into space and frowned. "My sister's name is Jessica. They don't know much about her. We may be identical twins, and they're fairly certain that we are. Mr. and Mrs. Sheldon in New York City adopted Jessica a few weeks after I was adopted. They only contacted my adoptive parents once...three days ago. They said that if they'd known Jessica had a twin they would have adopted us both, but...since I'd already been adopted they didn't know."  
  
Lily was practically in tears at this point, but she continued only by the prodding eyes of her concerned friends. "Jessica has Leukemia. If we're identical than my bone marrow will match her's, and it probably will anyway. They've looked for a donor for months. I'm Jessica's only chance left. I'll be leaving tomorrow for New York City, and I'll meet her. They'll test my bone marrow, and see if they can do a transplant. Either way the Leukemia is very advanced. She may not live even with a marrow transplant."  
  
No one spoke a word, and finally Lily added a final thought. "A twin I never met, or knew even existed may die before I know anything about her. Just think I could miss my whole life...because of one tiny little secret. 


	5. A Fork in the Side

Chapter 5: A Fork in the Side  
  
Lily glanced at her room, one more time. She packed pictures of everything she could think of; Ray, Travis, Robbie, her room, Mr. and Mrs. Randall, herself throughout the years, etc. She also couldn't help but pack her songs and her guitar as well. She had been afraid at the beginning that the guitar wouldn't fit, but buying that jumbo suitcase really helped her packing problems. She had finally admitted it to herself that Jessica existed, that this was all really happening. She'd even gotten to a point that she was comfortable calling the Randalls mom and dad. She would meet Jessica, if not be surprised by the presence of Ramona and Adam James, her parents. They weren't related or even married, so how did they have the same last name? Or was this just another lie? Lily felt consumed with guilt, but she shouldn't feel responsible for her sister's disease, she didn't even know Jessica existed. Of course there was also the question of how likely was it that she would get the disease since her OWN flesh and blood was ill. Leukemia didn't sound too fun. She remembered one class where they'd had a special doctor come and talk about Leukemia. She'd always had a feeling that a chunk of her was missing; this was just proof, but she wouldn't accept this reality until she saw this...this being...so similar to her. "I always liked the name Jessica." Lily joked trying to pass time.  
  
"Well Miss..." Ray fell silent as he walked into her room followed by Robbie and Travis.  
  
"Randall." Lily greeted them with a hug.  
  
"Ewww! Girl germs!" Ray cried out.  
  
Lily punched him softly on his sensitive arm, just enough to cause him pain. "Thanks Ray." She said.  
  
"What are friends for?" Ray asked.  
  
"Well you guys better get on your way, I have to leave now." Lily calmly stated.  
  
"Remember the first..." Travis began softly.  
  
"I know, Travis, all life is suffering." Lily smiled.  
  
"You are no exception." Travis explained.  
  
"You'll send us a picture of Jessica won't you?" Robbie asked, patting her on the back.  
  
"Maybe you just need to look at my picture, if we're identical that is." Lily smiled one last time, and she headed into the dark gloomy hallway leaving the protective boundaries of love from her friends, and entering the darkest part of life...so far. 


	6. Can I Make it?

Part 6: Can I Make it?  
  
She hadn't even seen a picture of Jessica, didn't know a thing about her. She and her 'parents' were on the plane somewhere over Chicago.  
  
"No more than an hour till I reach New York." Lily mouthed under her breath.  
  
"I can only imagine how anxious you must be." Her 'mom' said.  
  
"Right." Lily thought.  
  
"Ramona told us not to tell you, but now we had too. She never contacted us, I don't think she even knows about Jessica, unless they tested her as a potential match. She gave you girls up, and she doesn't want to corrupt your lives now." The explanation seemed so cold to Lily.  
  
"Lily, I know this is hard for you..." Her 'mother' began.  
  
"How...how could you possibly know?" Lily shouted angrily over the roar of the crowd, rushing toward the exit.  
  
"I guess I don't know first hand. This isn't a common thing." Her 'mother' continued.  
  
"If it's so uncommon, then why did it happen to me?" She stared blankly, tears in her eyes, into space.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I don't think I can do this." Lily said quietly as she sat huddled in the restroom at the hospital. "How can I make it easy for us? Can I make it anything at all? I mean filling in the blanks won't be easy."  
  
Tears streamed silently down her face. She was alone in the world, even in as large a city as New York. Learning that she had a sister, Jessica Mulley James.  
  
"Lily." She heard a soft rap on the door beckon her to come out.  
  
"WHAT?" She screamed agitated.  
  
"Dr. Berneard wants to talk with you." Her 'father' explained.  
  
Quietly she flung herself at the door lock, her face engulfed with flaming tears.  
  
"Lily." A gentle masculine voice called as she came out of the restroom.  
  
"Dr. Berneard?" Lily asked.  
  
"Lily, are you willing to undergo tests that may save your sister's life?" He asked.  
  
"Yes." She answered, not daring to look him in the eye.  
  
"Come with me, and as soon as we do a few simple tests you can go see Jessica." He explained.  
  
She went willingly, tugged gently along by his forceful yet gentle hands. She still wasn't even sure that she wanted to meet...Jessica. This stranger that people kept calling her sister. She'd had such a simple life, and now surely it would be one of the most complex ever. 


	7. Needing Recognition and Needing Support

Part 7: Needing Recognition and Needing Support  
  
"Lily, I must explain a few things before you go see Jessica." Dr. Berneard explained.  
  
Lily nodded expecting to hear all about the terrible condition of her sister that was constantly deteriorating.  
  
"Jessica is in stable condition, but not well. You will see some tubes and things attached to her. Second Lily, and this is not easy for me to say...Mr. James died in a car accident two years ago, and Mrs. James hasn't been seen since a few years after your birth." Dr. Berneard explained.  
  
Lily lost her train of thought. "Dead? Missing?" She asked, although not intending to, aloud.  
  
"Yes, so it is a good thing that you and Jessica found good homes. Although it is recommended that separated twins are given knowledge about the other, if possible contact when older." Dr. Berneard explained.  
  
Lily had to sit down on the bed she was standing next too. She didn't realize it, but she was having trouble breathing. And the next she felt was an oxygen mask around her face.  
  
"Are you ok?" Dr. Berneard asked worriedly.  
  
"Just a little surprised." Lily commented, although it was an understatement.  
  
"Lily, are you ready to meet Jessica Ander?" Dr. Berneard asked removing the mask from Lily.  
  
"Ready as I'll ever be." Lily thought unintentionally aloud.  
  
"I have to get better about keeping things to myself." She thought.  
  
The walk down the hall seemed to take years, and it was the creepiest thing she had ever done. Dodging only one rushing crash cart on the way, the journey seemed suddenly too short. She looked back at the million miles she seemed to have walked in only a few seconds in order to do one thing; this one unavoidable thing. She didn't have to meet Jessica, but she would probably hate herself if she didn't. She could feel the few forced gulps of sir coming into her lungs.  
  
"Lily Randall, meet Jessica Ander." Dr. Berneard ushered her into the room.  
  
Her steps were so forced; she hadn't even looked at the face of her twin. Her vision was blurred, and her jagged steps were wobbly. She felt like a baby taking their first steps, but she was in ninth grade...wasn't she? Slowly her eyes focused on one specific point of light, and in to view came the shining face of a smiling person.  
  
"Lily?" The person asked.  
  
"Yes Jessica, I am here." Lily forced herself to say. 


	8. Have I Lost My Nonsense?

Part 8: Have I Lost My Nonsense?  
  
The face of the person staring directly into Lily's eyes seemed strangely familiar. As if she had known this person all her life.  
  
"You look just like me." Lily said dreamily, still trying to come out of her trance.  
  
"Ditto." Jessica laughed in agreement.  
  
"This is weird, I thought no two people were alike." Lily stated.  
  
"We aren't, not exactly." Jessica reminded her. "I mean, you don't get straight A's, and I do."  
  
"How did you know that?" Lily asked.  
  
Jessica's face was practically struck by lightning. "I don't know." She replied honestly.  
  
"You like to paint?" Lily asked puzzled by this new feeling she had inside her.  
  
"Uhhh...Yeah," Jessica was confused. "But how did you know?"  
  
"No clue." Lily laughed.  
  
"This is so weird, we just met, but I know you." Jessica said.  
  
"Yeah." Lily said suddenly realizing that they were alone.  
  
"Come sit on my bed." Jessica gestured to a vacant spot in her bed.  
  
Unable to control any body functions, even if she'd wanted to, Lily walked to the directed location.  
  
"So this is my twin." Jessica said thoughtfully.  
  
Suddenly she frowned.  
  
"What's wrong?" Lily asked.  
  
"I just wish I'd met you sooner...before I got sick." Jessica explained.  
  
"Now if you get that attitude then we won't get to know each other." Lily said laughing half-heartedly.  
  
Jessica nodded understandingly.  
  
"So what are the Ander's like?" Lily asked.  
  
"They can't be too different from the Randall's since they both kept this secret. I mean they could have cured me years ago!" Jessica was slightly annoyed.  
  
"You're right." Lily agreed.  
  
"So got any crushes?" Jessica asked.  
  
"What?" Lily asked coming out of a trance.  
  
"You heard me, got any crushes." Jessica asked.  
  
Lily blushed.  
  
"So you do." Jessica laughed evilly. "What's his name, are you dating him, and do you have a picture of him?"  
  
Lily searched in the purse she carried with her, and pulled out a picture of Ray.  
  
"This is Ray." Lily handed Jessica the picture, blushing slightly.  
  
Of course, she still hadn't told Ray that she had a crush on him.  
  
"Who's this other picture of?" Jessica asked pointing at a picture on the floor.  
  
"That's my friend Travis, and this is Robbie." She showed her the pictures.  
  
"Now if I'm correct, you have a major secret that only these three know." Jessica said after studying Lily's eyes. "What is it?!" 


	9. Cat and Mouse

Part 9: Cat and Mouse  
  
"What do you mean secret?" Lily asked suspiciously.  
  
"Well like, only my two best buds know I have Leukemia." Jessica responded.  
  
"Really?" Lily asked.  
  
"Stop changing the subject." Jessica said.  
  
"What?" Lily asked.  
  
"Spill the beans! Come on spill em!" Jessica shouted excitedly.  
  
"Ok I guess my biggest secret is that I'm a part of a radio show." Lily began.  
  
"Yeah?" Jessica asked.  
  
"Called Radio Free Roscoe. Travis, Robbie, Ray, and I all have anonymous identities on it. I'm Shady Lane, Robbie is Question Mark, Travis is Smog, and Ray is Pronto." She finished.  
  
"SO COOL!" Jessica screamed.  
  
"Yeah, and there's also a radio station sponsored by the school called Cougar Radio. Of course no one knows who is in RFR, so Kim and us have radio wars all the time. She and principal Waller have been trying for ages to learn our identities." Lily laughed.  
  
"If I were in Roscoe High, would you let me join your radio show?" Jessica asked hopefully.  
  
"If I convinced the guys, shouldn't be too hard, then yeah. But the 'universe' would have to come up with your name." Lily explained.  
  
"So who's the smartest of your group?" Jessica asked.  
  
"Probably Travis." Lily replied.  
  
"Smog does sound like a mysterious name..." Jessica replied.  
  
"Ray," Lily blushed at the name. "Called him Smart Dog once, so according to Travis 'the universe had spoken."  
  
"So that's where Smog came from." Jessica said thoughtfully. 


	10. Messing With the Words

Part 10: Messing With The Words  
  
Lily turned to a picture sitting on a desk in the corner of the small hospital room. She was bored, and had been for hours. The Randall's had taken her out to eat, and when she returned to the hospital Jessica was fast asleep. She sighed and shifted her gaze to the wall clock, nearly 9:30 at night.  
  
"Been waiting long?" A voice asked as if it had the energy of a fully charged battery.  
  
"Are you always this cheerful?" Lily asked.  
  
"And you never get used to it, not even after 14 years." Jessica replied with a grin.  
  
"Don't you mean fifteen?" Lily asked cautiously.  
  
"Not until next week." Jessica replied enthusiastically.  
  
"And then as soon as you're fifteen, you get the transplant." Lily explained softly.  
  
"It's what I live for!" Jessica exclaimed, trying to sound optimistic.  
  
"I haven't even known you a week, and I can tell what you're feeling." Lily said. "So why don't you talk about it?"  
  
"Does that little tone always work on your friends?" Jessica asked.  
  
"Usually." Lily laughed. "Oh and by the way our birthday is in three days, not next week."  
  
"Technically..." Jessica countered.  
  
"Technicality doesn't matter." Lily stated.  
  
"Somehow I didn't think it would." Jessica said making a sound that was half giggle half hiccup.  
  
"Well technically technicality does matter in some instances." Lily explained.  
  
"What've you got there?" Jessica asked eyeing something on the bed next to Lily.  
  
"Oh this?" Lily asked. "That's just a we're sorry we lied to you please take this gift in apology, laptop."  
  
"Doing anything worth while?" Jessica was again as cheerful as ever.  
  
"E-mailing my friends." Lily replied with an evil grin on her face.  
  
"Looks like they e-mailed you back." Jessica nodded at the screen, feeling slightly awkward in the presence of such a familiar machine.  
  
"Say cheese!" Lily stood next to Jessica and pulled out a camera. Before Jessica could object she snapped a photo.  
  
"Oh I hate you!" Jessica countered. "I'm not very photogenic.  
  
"You're right, this photo should be burned. You look sooooo ugly!" Lily said seriously.  
  
"Hey!" Jessica said.  
  
"Should look nice in the warehouse..." Lily smiled mischievously. Jessica seemed to understand her meaning, and didn't question her actions.  
  
"Just remember I could get you humiliated in front of all your friends... and I could accidentally let your little secret slip..." Jessica took the pictures of Ray, Robbie, and Travis from underneath her pillow.  
  
"I'm never gonna live this down am I?" Lily asked.  
  
"No way!" Jessica replied.  
  
"So are you nervous?" Lily asked, trying not sound nervous herself.  
  
"About what?" Jessica asked confused.  
  
"Our first birthday...together." Lily replied. 


	11. Cake Iceing

Part 11: Cake Icing  
  
Life was fairly good for both Lily and Jessica, as they got to know each other better. It seemed as though they had been together their whole lives, and that there had never been lies. Still Lily felt alone, she missed her home, friends, and strangely enough her school.  
  
"So you're good with a guitar?" Jessica asked randomly mostly out of boredom.  
  
"Yeah, and you can draw pretty well?" Lily responded trying to be friendly.  
  
"This is getting us absolutely no-where!" Jessica screamed, annoyed.  
  
Lily didn't respond, she couldn't help but feel that it was indeed getting them somewhere and at the same time nowhere. They had already established these things about each other; had this conversation a million times. Lily was leaving in only a few days. They'd have their birthday together, go through all the medical stuff needed of Lily, and then she would return home. She might never see her sister again, if her sister even lived. Lily had grown more accustomed to calling Jessica her sister rather than referring to her as Jessica. She turned her head away from Jessica and looked intently at the floor. She was scared, more scared than she'd ever been in her life. Even more scared than when she first performed a song in front of an audience.  
  
"What are you thinking about?" Jessica asked.  
  
"To be totally honest, I'm thinking about fear." Lily replied.  
  
"Good summarization, you seem like you're really good with words." Jessica clapped her hands.  
  
Lily wasn't good with words, especially not now. Sitting with her sister in that tiny, uninviting hospital room she couldn't help but picture the worst possible scenario.  
  
"Come on Lily you gotta help me, my lungs aren't as good as they used to be." Jessica called to her sister.  
  
They were sitting quietly in Jessica's hospital room. In place of a birthday cake was a pair of cup cakes that each had one candle sitting in the center. Their adoptive parents had felt so 'bad' about lying to them so much that they hadn't dared interrupt the celebration. So Lily and Jessica were alone half of the time crying.  
  
"I still can't believe that our parents' weren't even willing to come to our birthday party." Lily sighed.  
  
"Does it really make you mad? I mean isn't it nice not have people around saying 'I'm sorry' and 'how are you feeling?' every second they get the chance. I rather like sharing my birthday with and only with my sister." Jessica commented.  
  
"I guess you're right. I'd hate for them to make a big deal out of it." Lily replied.  
  
"Exactly! So are you going to help me blow out these candles or am I going to have to suffocate blowing them both out?" Jessica exaggerated herself in an attempt to get Lily's cooperation.  
  
"It's been a great day." Lily said under her breath. "I just wish there were more to come."  
  
"You're not still hung up on the fantasy that I'm going to die are you?" Jessica frowned. "Come on all your worries will be relieved tomorrow."  
  
"No they won't. You may think that miracles are going to happen as soon as you get the transplant, but be realistic! My worries will just be beginning tomorrow, especially since for the rest of my stay here I'll be in pain! Resting and hardly able to spend time with you! Oh yeah you bet, everything is going to be miraculously fixed tomorrow! I may never even see you again!" Lily's sudden outburst caused Jessica to grow suddenly scared. Not for herself, but for Lily.  
  
"There's a simple four-letter word to think about, H-O-P-E, hope." Jessica returned assuringly.  
  
Jessica turned her head to the clock on the wall, and sighed. "Not too much longer, Lil."  
  
Lily sighed in return, and quickly wiped a small run-away tear from her face. "I know."  
  
Jessica looked in her sister's direction. The room was still dark with early morning light. "You seem happier with sleep deprivation than with a full nights sleep." She joked.  
  
Lily yawned. "I wish I could sleep."  
  
Jessica nodded understandingly. Lily was nervous about the day's events, and Jessica couldn't help but shiver. It was becoming more and more clear to her how serious everything was. She hadn't wanted to think about it, she'd needed to be strong throughout it all. But mostly she'd needed to be strong for Lily. In all actuality she was terrified, but she couldn't let her sister know.  
  
"Me too." She said indistinguishably.  
  
The door creaked open, and several people walked in, one of them being the doctor. There was no backing out now.  
  
Lily turned her head in the direction of the window, and looked up at the fading stars. 


	12. Thanks to You Lily R

Part 12: Thanks to You Lily R.  
  
Lily crumpled up the small scrap of paper in her hand and tossed it aside.  
  
"Litterbug." Jessica smiled weakly.  
  
"You're gonna be ok, you'll keep fighting. Won't you?" Lily asked softly.  
  
"I've been fighting for a year now, I'm tired. The chemo hurts, and I hate to be hospitalized..." Jessica paused weakly trying to catch her breath. "It's time for you to let go of me." Jessica smiled softly. "I love you."  
  
Lily took out a small pile of pictures and spread them out on the table. She had 17 pictures of Jessica, and she was in 15 of those. As much as she avoided the awful truth it still remained. Lily was going back home tomorrow.  
  
"I'm really sorry, Lily." Her mom said.  
  
"About which part? Jessica's death or your lies?" Lily shouted angrily.  
  
"Lily, calm down." Her father said.  
  
"I know you're confused about Jessica's death..." Her mom said quickly.  
  
"I'm not at all confused with Jesse's death, what I'm confused with is how you could be so selfish as to keep THIS secret from me for so long." Lily screamed.  
  
"There's nothing you could have done." Her mom assured her.  
  
"Oh really? You said that night you'd always known I had a twin; it's just too bad you couldn't face me sooner. And don't even try the 'we were waiting till you got older' excuse because, guess what, I've been old enough since I was 2!" Lily screamed.  
  
Lily turned away, and neither of her parents could muster the courage to counter her statements. They knew she was right, and now she would have to live the rest of her life as a punishment for something she didn't do.  
  
Lily looked through her bags pulling out papers and other loose objects and tossing them in every imaginable direction. She pulled a large piece of paper from the suitcase and looked at it cautiously before tossing it away, but suddenly she crawled to where it had landed.  
  
Dear Lily, Thanks for being such a great big sis. I might not get through this, but you have given me the courage to try. I'd given up until the day that mom and dad came and told me that they'd learned I had a twin. They say the look on my face was priceless, and you never left my side. As I sit here writing this it is the first time you have left since you arrived, I hope you can muster the courage to forgive your family. And say hi to Travis for me, he's cute! Thanks again Lily R.  
  
Love your twin, Jessica (Jesse)  
  
Lily turned her head in the direction of the window, and looked up at the fading stars. 


	13. Trapping Time in a Bottle

Part 13: Trapping Time in a Bottle  
  
Ray tossed and turned in his sleep, he couldn't help but think about Lily and her sister. His instinct told him that something bad had happened, and that tomorrow when he saw Lily she'd be really upset. He pushed the images to the back of his mind, but still he couldn't help but let his imagination run wild. Suddenly he awoke from a nightmare, and looked at the clock. It was nearly 5:20, and there was no point in going back to bed. He tossed the blankets aside, and stood cautiously from his bed, partially afraid that his brother had set another trap. He was relieved when he felt no unnatural substance at his feet. A grin spread across his face, and he felt as if he had won a marathon by out-smarting his brother. Suddenly he toppled over a piece of rope that was connected to two chairs a few inches off the ground.  
  
"I'm gonna get you back!" He said softly.  
  
Robbie looked at his breakfast, unable to eat at the prospect of seeing Lily.  
  
"How are we going to make her absence seem normal, I mean Lily is about the only person in the school who has been gone this whole time..." He thought to himself. "I hope our listeners aren't smart enough to put 2 and 2 together."  
  
He sighed, and looked at the clock, 7:02. He had to leave in a few minutes for school.  
  
"I hope Jessica is alright." He said without meaning to.  
  
"Who's Jessica?" His mother asked, even though he'd mentioned it once before.  
  
"Lily's 'friend' in NYC who is sick." He emphasized the word 'friend'.  
  
"Oh your little friend, Lily Randall?" His mother said more as a comment than a question.  
  
"I have to go." He said casually.  
  
Travis could remember himself telling Ray that the marvelous thing about yoga was that you could do it anywhere. He smiled to himself at the thought that he had actually given a good explanation to Ray, Ray had actually understood! He opened his eyes, and lifted himself off the ground to go for a walk. The 'infinite wisdom' of his parents was sometimes very annoying, this being one of those instances. He had no one to ask for advice since he was expected to know these things on his own. No one ever questioned his motives, and if he were doing something that was bad for teens his parents wouldn't have cared. It would be his 'rule' the limitation he had put on himself.  
  
"Good it's nearly 12:30." He looked at the clock on the wall of the underground with his amazing night vision. "The stars are coming out."  
  
Travis picked up the small backpack he carried along with him, and headed toward the door. No one was there to bother him, and as long as he was in a quiet environment it felt like he was asleep. Ever since Ray had found him here that night, he hadn't been able to figure out how Travis did it. How could you get two hours of sleep and still stay awake and interested for class? Travis shook his head.  
  
"If only I could tell you Pronto, I would." He frowned slightly at the thought.  
  
Lily picked up the small pile of pictures sitting on her desk, and looked through them one last time. She'd already chosen what she was going to do with them, and randomly singled out 2 of the photos. One she would take with her to school, and the other she would use for something else. She placed the 2 pictures back on the desk, and flicked the light switch off with the other pictures in her hand. Her parents were leaving her alone for now, and even if she followed the old rules they wouldn't work. Going to bed at 9:00 only to lay awake for hours and have nightmares constantly, so she just did what she felt. It was currently 8:37 in the evening, and she was already feeling drowsy, probably the remainder of the jet lag from yesterday. She cautiously crept up the stairs to the attic, and went to the corner farthest away from the stairs, the one on the left. Slowly she dug through a pile of junk knowing exactly what she wanted to find, and suddenly she pulled it from the rubble. A glass bottle covered in dust.  
  
"It's time I... moved on." A small tear escaped down her cheek, and she frowned constantly.  
  
Slowly she uncorked the bottle, and set the pictures on the floor next to her. She blew the dust off the bottle as much as she could, and took a picture from the floor. She set the bottle carefully on the floor by her side, and slowly folded the picture in half. Suddenly with a wild movement she stuffed the picture into the bottle. She took the pictures one by one and did the same with them until none remained. Then with a sudden, frightening burst of inspiration she dug through her pocket and found the note Jessica had written for her. She placed it gently alongside the pictures in the bottle, and took the cork in her hand.  
  
"It's time I moved on." She repeated, and softly placed the cork back in its place on the top of the bottle.  
  
She gently placed the bottle on the floor in the very corner of the attic, and piled the other junk she'd moved on top of it. She blinked for the first time since she'd started her journey up the stairs, and turned her head away from the bottle and its contents. She headed back down the stairs to her room, and took one of the pictures off her desk. She walked over to the wall where all of her pictures were, and plucked a picture of Robbie, Ray, Travis, and herself standing in the front yard off the wall. She turned the picture of Jessica over so that the picture was not actually visible and placed it gently in the spot where the other picture had. Then cautiously she placed the picture of her friends on top of it so that it was not even slightly visible, and with a pitiful attempt to smile she began to cry. She looked away from the wall, as if afraid it might bite her.  
  
Lily turned her head in the direction of the window, and looked up at the fading stars. 


	14. A Comparison to Life

I know I haven't updated this for a while, but that's only because I was having the best time of my life on a 7 day cruise in the Caribbean-and you didn't get to!-Did I just say that?

Part 14: A Comparison to Life  
  
Lily shut her eyes at the sudden invasion of sunlight in her room. She blinked twice trying to get used to the unfamiliar light source, she hadn't seen such bright sunlight in several days. It was only dawn, but the light seemed intensely bright. She could hardly believe that she was going back to school, and that her sister wasn't going to do the same thing. But at the same time she couldn't help but smile.  
  
"You're happier now." Lily said as if Jesse were standing right in front of her.  
  
She missed Jesse badly, but she felt she should move on as if this had never happened. She couldn't help but ask herself if it ever really had. It could simply have been a dream, but no, she looked on her desk and saw the single photo of Jessica. She picked it up cautiously, barely able to feel the movements of her hands. She seemed to be doing all of this subconsciously, not meaning to do it at all. But she couldn't stop herself, and she couldn't refrain from crying. A single tear fell onto the picture, and was rapidly soaked up by the papery texture.  
  
She stared at it in horror, "On no! I've ruined the picture!"  
  
She wiped at the spot vigorously, but no matter what she did it remained. Even though it was stained she felt better knowing that there was a part of her in it next to the figures of Jessica, and standing a few feet away, her own body lost in thought. She stared at Jessica's face, and for the first time was able to look beyond the cheerful, energetic person she knew. Hidden deep in the eyes of her sister was a shockwave-like appearance of fear.  
  
She picked up a pen that she had carelessly tossed to the floor a week earlier, and on the back of the picture wrote the date the picture was taken. She paused unable to make up her mind, and slowly returned the pen to the surface of the picture. Slowly she half-scribbled the words Jessica and Lily Randall. My unforgotten better half. Lily stared at her handy work and frowned. She felt horrible for having to resort to writing a note to a dead person she hardly knew, but at the same time knew very well...too well.  
  
Lily smiled and laughed angrily as if it had been no more than a common breath. She felt her work was done, but suddenly she found herself collapsed to the floor. Tears were gushing down her face, and she felt suddenly empty. She curled up in a small ball on the floor hugging her knees to her chest, and fell peacefully asleep.  
  
Lily awoke to the peaceful sounds of birds singing off in the distance. No birds ever seemed to venture into the yard of the Randalls, even though there were several lovely trees. She pulled the blanket around her tighter, and covered her head to block out the sun. Just then she realized that she was still on the floor where she'd fallen asleep. She sat up slowly and gazed at her surroundings. She yawned, and stood up. Glancing back at the floor she saw the picture, and for a moment couldn't decide what to do. Suddenly she found herself bending over and pulling the picture off the floor. The ink on the back seemed slightly smudged in one spot, and Lily yawned again.  
  
"Well I guess I better get ready for school." She smiled and sighed softly at the thought of seeing the guys again.  
  
She could just picture it. "Hey Lil did you miss me?" Ray would ask, and she'd be forced to punch him. Travis would say welcome home in some foreign language, and then he'd probably say something along the lines of "The first rule of Buddha states that all life is suffering." Robbie would probably be standing there trying to think of a question to ask on RFR and a way to welcome dear old Shady back. It was a lovely idea, and suddenly she found herself in a rush. Quickly she brushed her hair, ate breakfast, and forgot to brush her teeth as she hurried out the door and ran as fast as she could to place she most dreaded, and the place she most wanted to see.


	15. Secrets Hide Lies

Part 15: Secrets Hide Lies  
  
Lily had been walking absentmindedly for nearly half an hour, and strangely enough found herself only blocks from the school. She'd been thinking very hard about what she'd say to Ray, Robbie, and Travis. She held the picture of Jessica in her hand, but suddenly she found herself not moving. She opened a small pocket of her school bag, and tucked the picture inside. She knew what she was going to say to the guys, and it didn't involve any pictures. She smiled evilly to herself, but slowly her mouth curved out of the smile to an expressionless gaze she'd gotten used to carrying. She looked almost as if he was frowning, but her eyes didn't show that she was. They seemed inquisitive looking intently around at everything she could see, almost as if learning. She'd never felt such a complicated emotion before. A mixture of grief, love, anger, despair, betrayal, tension, anxiety, joy, curiosity, dread, as well as other emotions she couldn't quite name because they were so faint. IF you can imagine such an emotion. She wondered if anyone else had ever felt the way she did now. Was it even possible to feel this way on a daily basis, or was this an emotion that only a tiny handful of people would ever experience. Was she the only one?  
  
She swallowed a lump that seemed to have been resting in her throat for days, ever since she'd first learned of the lies. Again she began to walk, she'd probably be late to school but she didn't care. Her teachers would probably give her a break as well since she'd been gone for so long. She picked up a small pebble from the ground and hurled it down the street.  
  
"Lily!" A voice called from behind.  
  
"Ed?" Lily asked in surprise.  
  
"I hope you studied your physics while you were home sick." He said.  
  
She laughed in the hopes that she was masking the truth. "Oh yeah."  
  
"We have a test in science today, and I don't know if you'll be excused from it." He continued.  
  
"But I have to say I spent more time on my history studies..." She said.  
  
He looked disappointed.  
  
"I was kidding!" She laughed.  
  
"One should never 'kid' about science." He returned with a smile.  
  
"You'd better hurry up, you can't afford to be late." She said.  
  
"And you can?" He asked.  
  
Lily took her tray and shyly sat down next to her friends.  
  
"Lily!" Ray gave her a hug.  
  
"It's good to see you." Travis added.  
  
None of them approached the subject of Jessica. She could tell by their faces that they were waiting intently for her to speak of her own accord. They must have gone over it a million times. "Mention nothing about Jessica." She could picture them say, and they were obviously following their own advice.  
  
"So how was New York?" Ray asked casually. "Owww." He said as Robbie elbowed him.  
  
"It was fine. I didn't see much of the town though." She explained.  
  
"I heard there are some pretty amazing sites in New York, if I have to move again I'd like to move there." Travis said, trying to recover from Ray's little slip.  
  
"Guy's you can ask." Lily said.  
  
"Ask about what?" Robbie acted confused.  
  
"You know what I mean!" Lily exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, you know what she means!" Ray agreed. "Owww!" He said as Lily punched him.  
  
"If you wanted us to ask, you should have told us originally." Travis said.  
  
"Ok then," Robbie began. "How's Jessica?"  
  
Lily looked nervously around the circle of faces. She had never been one to lie before. Maybe she shouldn't have made them ask, but she wanted their sympathy. She still felt that same feeling, she felt as if her feelings themselves were confused and couldn't decide what they were. She wanted people to give their condolences, but at the same time she knew that no one knew the truth.  
  
"Jessica is fine." She smiled hiding her pain.  
  
She was now very skilled in the arts of lying and hiding her feelings. She decided that both of these were very important. This would be her secret; she would carry it to her grave. Her friends didn't need to know the truth, no one did. She'd simply ask her parents not to talk about it, and if someone asked they were simply to say "everything's fine." Feeling a sudden onset of rage from her lies she looked away. This was HER secret; this would always be HER secret. No one would ever know how she felt; she simply had to shy away from the world. She would simply have no feelings. She would simply ignore everything she had always known. 


	16. What is Sorrow?

Part 16: What is Sorrow?  
  
I am a new person now; days have passed since Jessica's death. I do not feel grief anymore, what is sorrow? The guys still think she's alive and they can't wait to call her. I've been sitting on my bed for at least an hour now; alone. But I don't care if I lie to them, it's their loss not mine! Fortunately for me mom and dad haven't seen the 'need' for me to go to a psychiatrist. But they could make me very easily, but what do I care?  
  
I set the diary on the edge of my bed and softly placed the blankets over it. They'd sit there for a good long while, and I have no real need to hide it. Mom and dad don't go prodding around my room now; they've started respecting my privacy more. I enjoy the little things I've gained since Jesse died, I'm not sad anymore.  
  
"Lily..." My mom walks in.  
  
"Hey mom." I reply not bothering to look up from this ink stain I suddenly managed to find on the wall.  
  
"You can't hate your father and I forever." My mom sighed.  
  
"What's stopping me?" I ask, and suddenly seeing the hurt expression on her face I change my attitude. "I'm kidding, I don't hate you. I couldn't possible hate you...you're my mom...I grew up knowing you. There was nothing we could have done."  
  
My mom opened her mouth as if to disagree with my comments, but I put my hand in the air to stop her.  
  
"Even if you'd told me about her sooner, there's nothing we could have done. It was a simple matter of fate, as Travis would say it has nothing to do with your karma, my karma, dad's karma, or anyone else's karma." I smiled to her, and she left silently.  
  
I returned my gaze to the same expressionless one I'd held so dearly for so long. No one could see past it, and if someone asked me how I felt I simply said "fine" or "happy"; and that usually satisfied them. I felt like a mighty turtle tucked inside my protective shell; I need not grieve. I need not cry. I do the normal things I always did, usually involving my guitar. But I avoided playing sad songs, and played songs full of joy. If I didn't play happy songs...if even one lyric were a grief filled cry for help, who knows what they'd do. I banish a frown that I find suddenly invading my face, and turn into a lie. An undetectable lye that constantly follows me; unnoticed by my many friends and family. Unnoticed by me. You see I've trained my mouth to curve into a smile in any situation, and if people are suspicious I simply replace my smile with an expressionless gaze like a trance. I've fooled everyone. I've fooled myself. I've...  
  
Lily woke up panting. She stared at the clock, and realized that she'd had a nightmare. She looked at the calendar. Everything had happened, as it seemed; she had a twin sister, a dead twin sister. It was only 5:30, but she pulled on a long sleeved shirt and a pair of jeans feeling a sudden urge to visit the warehouse. Travis would probably be there, he usually spent his nights trying to sleep in the shadows of his technology-filled booth.  
  
"Hey Trav." She called into the darkness, and heard a soft thud.  
  
"Ouch." Said a voice, but it WAS NOT Travis.  
  
"Robbie?" Lily asked.  
  
"No actually we're all here, you just startled me." He rubbed a bump on his head. "We weren't asleep anyway."  
  
"Why are you here, Lily?" Ray asked.  
  
"My instincts drew me here." Lily replied with a laugh.  
  
"So you're a bird?" Ray asked, and Lily walked into the darkness and punched his figure.  
  
"What's going on, and why wasn't I invited?" Lily asked, sounding genuinely hurt.  
  
"You know what is going on," Travis said mysteriously. "You just don't know it yet."  
  
"Hey Swami wasn't that redundant?" Ray asked.  
  
"Ray," Travis said.  
  
"Yeah?" Ray asked.  
  
"Don't call me Swami." Travis replied.  
  
"Right..." Ray returned. 


	17. Life's Little Bingo Game

Part 17: Life's Little Bingo Game  
  
The others watched her intently as Lily went through the cafeteria line.  
  
"She seems different somehow." Robbie said.  
  
"She is." Travis agreed.  
  
"Well how would you feel if you had to leave your dieing sister?" Ray asked.  
  
"She's not dieing, Lily told us that." Travis said.  
  
"She just seems...weird." Ray said.  
  
"Hey guys!" Lily called.  
  
"Hey Beautiful Lady!" Ray replied.  
  
Lily giggled.  
  
"Hasn't that gotten old?" Travis asked.  
  
"No way, Swami!" Ray assured him.  
  
Travis opened his mouth, but Robbie quickly ended the discussion.  
  
"So I was wondering, how are we gonna bring Shady back into RFR?" Robbie asked.  
  
"Say she moved, and then moved back all in the course of a week!" Ray offered.  
  
"Or you could say she's been sick." Travis offered.  
  
"Or you could say I was taking some time off." Lily offered.  
  
"That'll do." Robbie agreed as Ray opened his mouth to make another stupid suggestion.  
  
"Hey I didn't give you all my suggestions!" Ray complained. "Owww!"  
  
"You deserved that." Travis said and smiled at Lily who was now unclenching her fist.  
  
"You're listening to Radio Free Roscoe, and I'd like to be the first to say: Welcome back Shady Lane!" Robbie smiles at the microphone he was gripping.  
  
Lily laughed. "Getting a break was nice, but there's no place I'd rather be."  
  
"That's good to hear." Travis said.  
  
"When is my break?" Ray asked.  
  
"Pronto!" Lily screamed angrily, and punched him.  
  
"Things are back to normal." Robbie said, and Travis pushed a button bringing on a song.  
  
"That was a great show." Travis said when Robbie had closed.  
  
Suddenly Ray pulled out a large box. "Let's play bingo!"  
  
"What?" Lily was surprised.  
  
"He's entered a bingo phase." Robbie explained.  
  
"I'll be the caller!" Ray said. "Bw!"  
  
"What?" Lily asked.  
  
"B3." He replied. "Ia."  
  
"What?" She asked again.  
  
"I17." He replied. "Nk."  
  
And he repeated, "N26"  
  
"Ge. G33." He said.  
  
"Ou. O40." He said. "Bp. B1."  
  
"Il. I22." He said. "Ni. N37."  
  
"Gl. G49." He said. Oy. O59." 


	18. Attack of the Night

Part 18: Attack of the night  
  
Lily looked around; things had suddenly become dark. She seemed to have entered a sort of trance like a daydream. It made sense. She'd been really tired recently probably because of the effort at not grieving over Jesse.  
  
"LILY!" She heard someone shout again. "it's been an hour!"  
  
She tried desperately to open her eyes, but they weren't responding. She tried to speak, but no sound came out. She just waited a few moments, thoughts running a relay race in her head. Cautiously her body gave back partial control, and she mumbled an distinguishable noise that sounded like a gurgle and a grunt.  
  
"Good." She heard someone say, at least she could hear things.  
  
And then an eye opened and allowed her a small peak at the world around her. She opened the other eye and stared intently at her surroundings.  
  
"No!" She thought.  
  
"What?" Her mom asked.  
  
"Hey Lily!" A white gown entered the room.  
  
"Dr. Berneard?" Lily asked.  
  
"Welcome back to the living." A soft voice said.  
  
"Jesse!" She called out!  
  
"You'll wake everyone within a five mile radius with that tone!" Jessica joked.  
  
"So it was all a dream?" Lily asked.  
  
"Sometimes that's how the mind reacts when it's been put to sleep." Dr. Berneard explained.  
  
"So what did you dream about?" Jessica asked when Dr. Berneard and Mrs. Randall had left.  
  
"You don't want to know." Lily sounded relieved.  
  
"Did I die?" Jessica asked knowingly.  
  
"Yeah, Jesse, you did." Lily replied.  
  
"Jesse? Interesting nickname." Jessica smiled.  
  
"What?" Lily asked still slightly dazed.  
  
"What you called me, Jesse." Jessica replied. "Must have been part of your dream too."  
  
"I just hope my dream doesn't come true." Lily sighed.  
  
"Naah." Jessica giggled, "And no matter what I'll keep fighting...thanks to you Lily R."  
  
"You said that to me too!" Lily screamed sounding frightened.  
  
"Wow you really can predict the future." Jessica said, and looked at her sister's horrified face. "I'm kidding!"  
  
Lily heaved a sigh of relief. It had all been a dream. It had all been a dream. It would always be a dream. But the fact still remained that she was going home in three days. It didn't matter how happy she was or how much she'd miss Jesse she was going home. She glanced out the window that was conveniently placed right above an empty bed ahead of her.  
  
"Lily?" Jessica asked.  
  
"Wha?" Lily asked sleepily.  
  
"Do you want to go home?" Jessica sounded almost scared.  
  
"No." Lily replied, and turned over to sleep.  
  
"I don't want you too." Jessica said. "I'll do whatever it takes to stay with you..."  
  
And without questions or comments they both looked out the window and entered a peaceful sleep, together. 


	19. A Life Once Lived

A/N:Just so you know, I originally wrote this for another website where the chapters had to be short, and afterward, when I decided to post it here, I wasn't really in the mood to edit it so I know it isn't the best.

Part 19: A Life Once Lived  
  
Lily was running around the house trying to find the perfect back to school clothes and the perfect everything else too. She ran into more than one wall, nearly tripped over a soccer ball, and nearly fell down the stairs at least twice.  
  
"Stupid black shirt!" She called out throwing it to the ground beside her.  
  
"Stupid 7:45 clock!" She screamed as it began making noise.  
  
She was in too much of a hurry for this nonsense! She sat in her chair to take a break, and stared at a small piece of paper hanging on her wall; Jessica's email address. Jessica might not be moving here, she might still be in the hospital, she might be going back to school, but they could still keep in touch! Lily's stomach fluttered at the thought of being able to actually 'talk' to someone she knew like a twin...or in this case actually was a twin. She jumped at the sound of her dad's voice, and ran out the door on the que of:  
  
"Would you like a ride to school, Lil?"  
  
She didn't need a ride today was to perfect, and even if she was late who would care? The strange part was that she still felt that really weird motion from her dream, less intensely but still there. She even had her abilities from the dream, the one's she'd taught herself.  
  
Her parents gave her as much space as she wanted, and home life was perfect. No one could make her sad, and she was about to see her friends, to make things even better! She heard the saying 'nothing is perfect' on more than one occasion, especially from Travis. But this day was perfect; she doubted anything in history had been more perfect.  
  
"So how's life, Lily?" Ray asked at lunch.  
  
"Well...I hate my parents for what they did, I've had a nightmare recently, and I'll never see Jessica again. LIFE COULDN'T BE MORE PERFECT!" Lily screamed, and was greeted by stares from other tables.  
  
"Tone it down a bit, at this rate we won't even get to talk about today's RFR." Robbie said.  
  
"Can't you tell she's happy?" Ray asked.  
  
"So Jessica's fine?" Travis asked.  
  
"I would have thought that you, of all people, Swami, would be able to figure that out." Lily said.  
  
They stared at her.  
  
"Did you just call me Swami?" Travis asked.  
  
"OH YEAH, point for the Raymister!" Ray said.  
  
Robbie began laughing. "Well, Swami, looks like you have a new nickname."  
  
"Don't call me Swami, I don't like it." Travis said.  
  
"So?" They asked jokingly.  
  
Several days later...  
  
"You're listening to..." Robbie began.  
  
"Radio." Ray said.  
  
"Free." Travis chimed in.  
  
"Roscoe!" Lily finished.  
  
"Yes it's true, and I'd like to be the first to say...Welcome back Shadylane!" Robbie said.  
  
"My break was nice, but it's good to be home." Lily said.  
  
"Home as in RFR right?" Travis asked.  
  
"You know it!" Lily said.  
  
"Hey, when's my break?" Ray asked, and Lily punched him.  
  
"Here's a song for this joyous welcome back shady occasion!" Robbie said.  
  
They removed their headphones.  
  
"You seem different." Robbie said  
  
"Sorry, I guess Jessica sorta rubbed off on me." Lily explained.  
  
"Sorta?" Ray asked.  
  
"So did you bring a picture of her?" Travis asked.  
  
"Here." She tossed it to him gently, and it fluttered in the air a few inches above his head.  
  
"Wow is that her...and you?" He asked.  
  
"Yup." Lily replied.  
  
"You look so...so...so alike." Robbie said.  
  
"What do you expect?" Ray asked.  
  
"I guess I'm just surprised and a little sad. I always thought there was only one Shady Lane."  
  
"Come over to my house after the show, I want to show you guys something." Lily said.


	20. My sister's Keeper

A/N: I would like to thank LilyLike04, Deidre2, MysticChic, Cassandra01000, MirroringYou, Dangrassi, blondiegurl, RilyFanForLife, Drama Queen Confessions, and Reviewchick14 for all of their reviews! Thanks for all of your support and that goes to all of you readers who didn't review aslwell in helping me finish my story! It's sad to be finished, but I will be back writing more stories before you know it :)

And to answer LilyLike04's question, I have no idea really where this idea came from. One day I was walking through the door from my bedroom and suddenly this title and story just popped into my head. Of course the fine details were thought long and hard about, but otherwise this was pretty random.

Part 20: My Sister's Keeper  
  
Lily was waiting patiently for the guys to arrive; she'd gotten Jessica to get on the computer so they could chat. Now she sat patiently waiting for Robbie, Travis, and Ray to come.  
  
"Yo, lily!" Ray called out as he came closer to her room.  
  
"Ray!" Travis was agitated, "Don't you ever shut your mouth?"  
  
"No." Ray replied.  
  
"Come on guys, get along." Robbie intervened.  
  
Ready Jessica? Lily typed.  
  
Of course. Jessica replied  
  
"Hey guys, I'd like you to meet my sister," Lily explained.  
  
They smiled.  
  
"Your sister is a computer?" Ray asked.  
  
Lily punched him.  
  
So how are you guys? Jessica felt she had waited long enough.  
  
Fine, fine, fine. They replied.  
  
Ray is as stupid as always, he thought you were the computer screen. Lily replied to her sister.  
  
You taught him a lesson? Jessica asked.  
  
Of course I did Jesse. Lily replied.  
  
So...RFR how was that? Jessica asked.  
  
Ray, Travis, and Robbie looked at Lily confused.  
  
"She knows." Lily explained calmly.  
  
Fine. (T) Lily had to make sure Jessica knew who had typed it so she used initials.  
  
And school? Jessica asked.  
  
I didn't do the homework assignment! (Ra) Ray typed proudly.  
  
I can see why... Lily blocked the computer screen.  
  
Ummm...Jessica? Lily asked.  
  
Oh right. Jessica replied  
  
"Hey Lily can I ask Jessica something?" She motioned for them not to look.  
  
"This better be important!" Ray wined.  
  
"It is." Robbie said, and began hitting keys.  
  
As soon as the text had disappeared everyone turned around.  
  
I'm glad to know that, it should. Jessica typed.  
  
"I thought it was a question." Travis said.  
  
"Not exactly..." Robbied smiled at his friends, and Travis understood.  
  
"So we have to go." Travis explained, and grabbed Ray's hand so he couldn't complain.  
  
It really had been another perfect day, and Lily realized that she had learned something from her dream. They all had secrets, Travis, Robbie, Ray. But she also knew she'd never find if she was right, and that was just fine with her. Life was back to normal, almost...  
  
Travis did in fact have a secret of his own, but that is a tale for another day.


End file.
